The Japanese collectible company, X-Plus, has announced the Monster Total Advance 50th Anniversary Set (Destroy All Monsters), an 11 figure set, and a new Large Monster Series Flying Ghidorah.

Japanese vinyl is a highly specialized area of collecting that I haven’t ventured into, as a collector or on this website. I frankly lack the expertise to discuss these figures in the detail they deserve. But when I saw this accumulated collection from one of my very favorite Toho kaiju films, I had to dip my toes in and share the news with my fellow monster kid collectors.

X-Plus is headquartered in Osaka, Japan and the company strives to provide high-quality statues and figures at ‘affordable’ prices. They make unbelievably realistic movie-accurate figures from our favorite kaiju movies. These figures are striking in their movie-accuracy but they are not cheap.

The 11 piece set includes Godzilla, Minya, Baragon, Manda, Anguirus, Kumonga, Varan, Mothra (larva), Rodan, Gorosaurus, and a new Flying King Ghidorah.

All of these figures, except Ghidorah, have been released previously, and all are Large Monster Series figures, which means they are approximately 10 inches high. X-Plus collectors often refer to this line as the “25cm Series”. These figures are being re-issued in the United States by Diamond so you can pre-order them at your local comic or collectible shop.

Below, I’ve included links to pre-order some of these figures through Entertainment Earth and I’ve also included links to current eBay auctions and Amazon for previous releases of these same figures.

Large Monster Series X-Plus Flying King Ghidorah

Ghidorah is 18 inches tall and comes with a base and background. The set ships in three boxes. It’s typical that some assembly is required with X-Plus figures.

Select versions of this figure will include a fabric Mount Fuji backdrop (the location of the final battle in Destroy All Monsters). No word on the size of the backdrop, but it looks pretty big (see lead image of this article). Make sure you are clear from any seller if the item you are ordering includes the backdrop or not prior to purchasing. This vinyl will have a limited run so it is possible that it will sell out before the scheduled end date. X-Plus says, though, that if there is enough interest in more, they will follow up with a second run. Preorders will end on October 2, 2018 as long as they don’t reach the maximum number for the run. It is expected to ship November 2018.

Large Monster Series X-Plus Rodan

Originally a stand-along Kaiju character separate from the Godzilla franchise, Rodan is a powerful Pteranodon that allies with Godzilla to save Monster Island and the world from monstrous threats. Here, this Rodan 1964 Version Kaiju Vinyl Figure – Previews Exclusive recreates Rodan as he appeared in 1964’s kaiju film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. In excellent detail, Rodan measures about 24-inches wide x 15 3/4-inches tall x 7-inches long!

Large Monster Series X-Plus Manda & Mothra Larva

Manda measures about 18-inches long and comes with a faux rock to help support its upraised head and also serves to reproduce his pose in that final scene at Mount Fuji at the end of the film. The Mothra Larva is a little over 9-inches long, and also comes with a rock base of its own.

Large Monster Series X-Plus Kumonga

X-Plus captures the look of the monstrous Kumonga as he appeared in the 1967 film, Son of Godzilla! Also known to Western audiences as Spiga or Spiega, the leg span of this vinyl figure is a massive 20-inches long!

Large Monster Series X-Plus Baragon and Varan

From classic 1968 film, Destroy All Monsters, comes this Godzilla Kaiju 8-Inch Series Baragon and Varan 1968 Version Sofubi Vinyl Figures – Previews Exclusive! This 2-packl includes your favorite kaiju from the movie. Baragon stands about 12-inches tall and Varan is sculpted in scale and comes with a rock base for display.

Large Monster Series X-Plus Gorosaurus

As a gigantic dinosaur resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex, this Gorosaurus is based on his appearance in 1968’s kaiju epic, Destroy All Monsters! The Godzilla Kaiju Series Gorosaurus 1968 Version Sofubi Vinyl Figure – Previews Exclusive stands approximately 10-inches tall with an overall length of over 15-inches to the tip of his tail. This beautifully sculpted, hand-painted vinyl figure captures every detail of this supporting kaiju in all his glory.

Large Monster Series X-Plus Anguirus

Godzilla’s spiny nemesis lives again! Once one of Godzilla’s most fearsome foes, the monster Anguirus became the mighty Godzilla’s trusted ally. This Previews Exclusive Godzilla Anguirus 1968 Version 12-Inch Vinyl Figure sculpts Anguirus based on his appearance in 1968’s Destroy All Monsters and measures 12-inches long, 24-inches long with his tail attached!

Large Monster Series X-Plus Godzilla & Minya 1968

Apparently, no re-issue has been announced for the Large Monster Series Godzilla figure, which was originally released November 2011 and is super cool! He stands 9 inches tall. There is a version that also includes an in-scale Minya figure (6 inches tall).

I have to admit that the super realism of these figures really intrigues me because they look so much like the movie versions of the characters. As a collector of mostly vintage toys, I have a deep affection for some degree of whimsy in my less-than-accurate designs. I respect the immense level of talent that goes into designing and sculpting these modern figures and it there’s any collectible category I’d be tempted to wading into it’s these remarkable movie-accurate Toho kaiju. What are your thoughts on these types of collectibles?

Col. Frank Saunders Bust from Executive Replicas Available for Pre-Order

There was no actual “Frankenstein” in this 1965 B-movie classic. But the title served it’s purpose and now we can add an incredibly lifelike rendering of the title character to our classic monster collections!

This Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster 3:4 Scale Bust is highly detailed and looks just like the disfigured astro-robot from this camp classic.

Product Details:

19 inches tall

pre-painted

Weighs 8.4 lbs

Retail $249.99

This bust ships May 2017 and is available now for pre-order at Entertainment Earth. I recommend Entertainment Earth, because they give free shipping, and at over 8 pounds, this thing will cost a pretty penny to ship.

About Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster

Released in 1965, Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster was directed by Robert Gaffney and released by Allied Artists. It tells the story of a military android, Col. Frank Saunders, who is making his 1st space voyage when his rocket is shot down by invading Martians who are looking to abduct earth women to repopulate their civilization. Left ravaged and wounded, Col. Saunders is still able to battle Princess Marcuzan’s Martian warriors and radiation-scarred mutation Mull.

Watch the trailer here; it’s great fun!

Executive Replicas

Executive Replicas, in business since 2006, creates high-end licensed collectibles based on Classic Sci-Fi, Horror, Action Heroes and Villains. Their mission it to create the best action figures and memorabilia of the classic sci-fi and horror greats that once ruled our TV screens. They are also committed to educating younger generations about these classic films, actors and characters; a mission I share here at CCM. They make incredible stuff, and though they’re not cheap, the quality is very high. Check out their website to see all they have to offer: ExecutiveReplicas.com

Marilyn is Now Available for Pre-Order

The lovely Marilyn Munster maquette features the only ‘non-ghoul’ member of the Munsters household. Sporting her yellow dress and creme colored heels, Marilyn is holding onto Spot’s collar as it comes chained to the floor.

Also included is the Herman Munster bust Marilyn sculpted in the Munsters episode, Prehistoric Munster.

Collecting Vinyl Godzilla Figures

The first Godzilla figure was issued in 1966 by the Marusan Company andmany vintage collectors consider Bullmark to be the finest and most varied line of Godzilla toys ever created, even making a cameo in Godzilla v Hedorah. The Marusan and Bulwark lines, along with the original Bandai 8 inch line, are the most important of any Godzilla toys historically with . All of these vintage vinyl figures share the following two characteristics; a highly stylized design and a usually unrealistic, brightly colored paint scheme.

After a 10 year hiatus, Toho announced a new Godzilla movie in 1983, kicking Godzilla merchandising into high gear. Yakmakatsu and Bandai both entered the vinyl figure market that same year and their realistic approach to figure production changed everything. These figures were the first truly realistic renditions produced, both in sculpture and painting. The U.S. didnt get in on the act until the early ’90s when Trendmaster released it’s “King of the Monsters” line, followed in late 2003 by Bandai‘s U.S. effort. Both companies continue to release figures associated with the classic Toho films as well as the new Legendary universe.

Godzilla: Vinyl Wars Collection

That brings us to the Godzilla: Vinyl Wars collaboration between Japan’s classic sofubi manufacturers and cutting-edge Japanese toy maker Medicom Toy. Each release in Godzilla Vinyl Wars is a reproduction of a classic Toho sofubi from the 1960s through today. Sofubi means “soft vinyl” and this collection reproduces many of those original Marusan and Bullmark toys, released legitimately for Western collectors for the first time ever. Each Godzilla Vinyl Wars Sofubi is hand-crafted, hand-painted and inspired the designer toy movement

The following sofubi are available now:

Bear Model originally released this classic, 1954-inspired sofubi to adoring collectors in Japan in 2003. Now wearing a more true green paint deco and measuring approximately 9-inches tall, this re-issue is a limited edition of only 200 pieces!

Medicom has also released a number of retailer variants, including a Rodan sofubi, which I haven’t included in this post. Most of these variants are unique colors on the same figures above and a completist collector can get more information at Medicom’s website

The Godzilla Vinyl Wars EX series Arrives February 2016

this news series opens with this Previews Exclusive Godzilla Vinyl Wars Hedorah Megaton Version Sofubi Vinyl Figure of the smog monster from the Godzilla films. Figure stands nearly 20-inches tall.

As we wrote earlier in this post, there are many retailer-exclusive versions. These typically involving a unique paint scheme not available elsewhere. We’ve included some of these here but have not attempted to track down every variant.

The intent here is to present the classic monster collector with a brand overview of the Godzilla Vinyl Wars sofubi collection I highly recommend Club Tokyo which is an extensive resource for kaiju collectibles and vinyl figures.

While we love to collect vintage, we think the Godzilla Vinyl Wars collection is a great place to start for anyone interested in collecting Godzilla. Because these are limited edition and based on vintage figures from the 1960s onward, I like the idea of beginning here and then tracking down the original figure counterparts. Sofubi collecting is a passionate community and there are a lot of great online communities dedicated to sofubi collecting of every stripe .

Godzilla Collector Resources:

We’ll add these links to our Collector’s Resource page of course and if you know of any great online resources for Godzilla or kaiju collecting, we’d appreciate you letting us know in the comments section below:

Collecting the Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy Category – Part 9

Sputnik Supplies Ro-Boy Vinyl Figure

It seems I’ve been exploring the intersection of iconic monsters and horrible movies in recent posts. In last week’s Classic Movie Poster post, I profiled 1958’s Attack of the 50 Foot Woman – a bad movie with an iconic and timeless poster.

As we continue to review 2014 Rondo Awards nominees for Best Toy/Model/Collectible, today’s featured collectible certainly fits the bill for iconic monster/bad movie as we take a look at Sputnik Supplies original creation Ro-Boy.

Sputnik Supplies is the brainchild of artist Paul Schiola who explains the inspiration behind his creations as:

“My love for vinyl toys and sculpting led me in a direction where I could meld the two and produce a truly collectible toy…make small runs of cool, unique and truly collectible vinyl-like toys; each one is an individual work of art and is always handmade by me here in the U.S.A.”

Ro-Man Extension XJ-2is the titular monster and/or alien from The Robot Monster, a film with such a low budget that they used a gorilla suit because they didn’t have the budget for a full robot suit.

It’s worth noting that the lack of budget and resulting gorilla/robot mash-up is the singular reason this film remains in the popular culture–it certainly isn’t the movie itself!

Where to Buy Sputnik Supplies Ro-Boy

Summary

I love this figure. Of all the nominees in the Rondo Awards category for Best Toy/Model/Collectible, it the only original creation.

While I love licensed merchandise, and am awed by the incredible life-like detail of many models, maquettes and even action figures of today, there is something magical about the discovery of a toy that isn’t from a movie, comic or TV show.

As a kid, it always felt like discovering something uniquely mine. Obviously, a mass-produced plastic toy wasn’t uniquely mine, but the feeling was pure and joyful just the same. I think it is one of the original draws I felt to monsters and genre movies in general– the fantastic and original creations of the artists and filmmakers were magical to me and, I suspect, most other monster kids.

I really appreciate that, while inspired by a rather infamous movie monster/alien, Ro-Boy is a creation of the artist’s imagination–and a hand-painted, handmade one at that.

The price point is steep, as it is for most of the nominees in this category. But, given that this is really a work of pop culture art and is clearly NOT a toy, I’m okay with $85. I imagine that price will only go up once Sputnik Supply sells the original inventory and it winds up on the secondary market.

The Robot Monster

Speaking of the movie that inspired Ro-Boy, I watched it last night on Amazon Prime as I was drafting this article. Honestly, I can’t say for sure if I had ever seen this film in its entirety.

My thoughts? This movie is so bad it’s good! It’s not going on my list of favorite films anytime soon, and I love 1950s B-movie SciFi camp. If you haven’t seen it, it really is good fun and worth a little over an hour of your time.

You can stream it for free with an Amazon Prime membership:(click image to watch movie)

or you can watch it for free onYouTube:

So what do you think of Ro-Boy? Any Sputnik Supplies aficionados out there? And The Robot Monster? Share your opinions about this movie and the collectible toy it inspired below!

The Monster gets his due with Frankenstein Friday

Welcome to Frankenstein Friday, folks where the weekend comes to life and we put down our means of commerce to focus on friends, family and — for us Monster Kids — Frankenstein and friends!

Each week, I’ll feature ol’ Frankie in one of his multitude of forms and let you know where you can go to add him to your collection! These will often be ads from our sponsors that you can click and buy — helps us pay the bills. But looking is free so enjoy as you choose!

Today’s character collectible is alliteration at it’s finest with a Funko Frankenstein Figure:

Hanna-Barbera Frankenstein Jr. Pop! Vinyl Figure

From Hanna-Barbera‘s Frankenstein, Jr. and the Impossibles comes this Frankenstein Jr. Pop! Vinyl Figure! Frankenstein Jr. aka, “Frankie” stands 3 3/4-inches tall and looks just as you remembered him with his green superhero outfit with his “F” logo on his chest and is packaged in a window box.

Collecting the Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy Category – Part 6

X-Plus War of Gargantuas Vinyl Figures

I continue my series profiling each of the 2015 Rondo Awards nominees for Best Toy/Model/Collectible category with the X-Plus set of vinyl figures from Toho’s 1966 kaiju classic, War of the Gargantuas.

PHOTO: JOHN STANOWSKI / KAIJU ADDICTS

NOTE: I recently wrote a Monster Kid Memories piece about the impact War of the Gargantuas had on me as a formative Monster Kid when my 5-year-old self tried (unsuccessfully) to watch this movie after convincing my parents to let me stay up late to watch it on TV. This event was extremely influential in my life-long passion for monsters of the movies. While I don’t consider this one of my favorite monster, or even kaiju, movies, it certainly is one of the most influential. If you’re interested, you can read this post by clicking here.

The purpose of this series is two-fold:

review the nominees for Best Toy, Model, Collectible category in the 201 5 Rondo Awards

provide current availability and pricing

I’m not an expert on vinyl figures. I’m intrigued by them and have been tempted for years to dabble though the price points have kept me at bay so far. To date, I’ve continued to focus my limited collecting budget on vintage collectibles but if there is a category that could pull me into modern collectibles (other than comics) it is these high-quality, realistic Japanese vinyl figures from companies like X-Plus.

X-Plus, the company behind these amazing figures, specializes in highly detailed soft vinyl figures from the Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman franchises as well as other Japanese anime and fantasy films.

Product Details

MSRP: $170.00 (sold out at retail)

“PX Previews Exclusive” on front of package

2014 Diamond release re-issue

Material: Soft Vinyl

Series: TOHO 30CM

Sanda 12″, Gaira 10.5″

Vinyl figure collectors are a passionate lot, especially kaiju vinyl figure collectors. Given my lack of expertise in this category, I’m going to defer to two of the more passionate collectors in this field.

First up is this comprehensive video review by Richard Eso from his Fresh Vinyl channel on YouTube:

Next, I highly recommend you click the link below and head over to kaijuaddicts.com to read John Stanowski’s review of this figure set. John is the voice behind Kaijuaddicts.com, which is a gold-mine of information for anyone interested in learning more about X-Plus, vinyl kaiju figures and collecting vinyl in general. If you’re like me, after you read this review you’ll want to bookmark this site and spend some more time on it–ALOT more time in my case as I’ve found this to be a very informative and readable blog for kaiju vinyl collectors.

Where to Find the X-Plus War of Gargantuas Vinyl Figures

In short, good luck!

Both of the reviewers above made it clear that collecting vinyl figures means pre-ordering from Previews or through your local Diamond retailer or face the immediate mark up of the reseller marketplace.

Since the standard process is to pre-order these figures, it’s not surprising that my research didn’t find any in stock at the usual sites. It appears that another release is in the works, but X-Plus and Diamond have not yet provided specific details on the date. Since this is a fairly new release, I would expect individual items to begin show up on auction sites and in dedicated collector marketplaces from time to time, but given the passion of X-Plus collectors and the desirability of these particular figures, expect to pay a handsome markup if you are lucky enough to find these guys for sale.

Summary

I’ve learned a lot about soft vinyl figures and X-Plus in writing this post and my interest is piqued.

I’m definitely going to keep an eye out on upcoming releases and pre-order through my local comic shop if something catches my eye — for example, X-Plus just released a gorgeous diecast model of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea which I would LOVE to have since that is one of my all-time-favorite movies. Just released in January 2015, t’s selling for $350 on Amazon and over $500 on Amazon

I can certainly see why any vinyl kaiju or X-Plus collector would want to have these figures in their collection. Not only is War of the Gargantuas one of the best non-Godzilla kaiju films from the 1960s (my opinion) but these figures just look great. I understand some of the issues with the paint jobs, but as a collector of vintage monster toys, I’m in awe of the realism and detail of these guys and X-Plus figures in general. The paint jobs certainly are minor in my opinion

I’d love to have these Gargantua figures in my collection thought I doubt I’ll be shelling out $500 or more for them in the near future.

Collecting the Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy Category – Part 4

Forrest J Ackerman Statue by Dark Horse

Another week, another post about this year’s nominees for the Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy Category. Today’s subject is the Dark Horse tribute to every monster kid’s favorite uncle, Dr. Acula himself, Forrest J. Ackerman.

This article provides detailed specs of this figure, a video biography of this influential man, as well as a current pricing and links to several sites where I found it available to purchase. From one monster kid to another, please note that this site is an affiliate of some of these sites, which simply means we receive advertising revenue from them.

The Original Monster Kid

Forry was the creator, editor, and principal writer for Famous Monsters of Filmland. He was also one of the great collectors of classic sci fi and monster memorabilia. He displayed his extensive horror book and memorabilia collection in his Los Angeles home, affectionately called the “Ackermansion,” where for fifty years, he shared his collection with fans during open-house events.

To say he had far-reaching influence in the science fiction, horror, and fantasy community would be like saying Neal Armstrong was important in space exploration–it’s true in fact, but it simply doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. Uncle Forry, as he was known, is one of the founding fathers of monster fandom and almost every Monster Kid alive today can trace their lifelong love of all things fantastic to this man, the Original and Ultimate Monster Kid.

This statue is a tribute to this influential man and I give Dark Horse great credit for commissioning this piece. Really, it’s about time. Collecting is a big part of being a Monster Kid and it only makes sense to have Dr. Acula present on our collection shelf alongside the creatures and characters Ackerman loved as much as we do.

EntertainmentEarth

Summary

I’m a huge fan of Forry. Unlike many of my elder Monster Kid counterparts, I never got to meet him, but his impact on my childhood is massive. I was a 70s monster kid, and found Famous Monsters early in my youth. I bought every issue on the news stand starting in 1975 through it’s final issue in 1983.

As an adult, I’ve continued to collect Famous Monsters and have filled in many missing keys from the 1960s.

My affection for Forry is the primary reason I like this statue. Cipriano is an amazing artist and many of his works make me drool a little bit. This isn’t one of those, largely because the subject is harder to capture than a super hero or Frazetta warrior. That’s probably the reason I really like this statue, but don’t quite love it.

I don’t own it yet, but now that the original run is sold out at retail and the price is coming down from it’s original MSRP, I can certainly see spending $100 or so to honor the man himself if nothing else.

It’s a really nice piece, and I think it’s important to recognize the importance of Forry to monster fandom.

Collecting the Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy Category

Lily Munster Maquette by Tweeterhead

Continuing our deep dive into the Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy Category, this post focuses on the gorgeous Lily Munster Maquette from Tweeterhead. This article provides detailed specs of this figure, a video review as well as a price list with links to several sites where I found it available to purchase. Some of these are affiliate links which means I receive advertising revenue from the sites.

For anyone unfamiliar with this San Francisco-based company, it’s worth checking out their Facebook Page or their website to see the jaw-dropping work they do. In addition to this striking Lily Munster statue, their recent releases include Elvira and a Batman 66 collection.

Statue Specs:

Cold-cast porcelain

Available in Color and Black & White

Limited Edition

1/6th Scale

13″ Tall with Base

2 pieces: Lily + Base

Painted Prototype and box design by David Fisher

Here’s a well-done video review from Too Many Figures highlighting this action figure in great detail. Check out their Youtube Channel for more reviews like this one:

While the Lily Munster statue was the nominated piece for the Rondo Awards, it is worth noting that Tweeterhead is rolling out the entire Munsters family as a collection — check this out; I really love this collection.

Eddie is the newest piece and is available for pre-order starting May 2015:

Amazon.com

While this statue didn’t get my Rondo vote, it certainly deserved to be nominated for Rondo Awards 2015 Best Toy category — the sculpt, paint and event the packaging are first-class.

In summary, I appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of this piece. For the price, I would still spend my limited collecting budget on a high-grade vintage item first.

But that’s me. Collecting classic monsters doesn’t have to be about vintage collectibles. Tweeterhead is certainly proof that modern collectibles of classic monsters, like this Munsters collection, are worthy of collector’s interest and investment.

Anyone vote for this statue in the Rondos? Anyone have this in their collection? I’d love to hear from Munsters collectors in the comments section below!